


Space Oddity

by NyamiRose (MeghanRose)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 01:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13020351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeghanRose/pseuds/NyamiRose
Summary: Siegfried helps Malik to achieve his dream of seeing the night sky from the summit of Mauna Kea.Post-series.Excerpt from a future chapter of Trial by Fire.





	Space Oddity

**Author's Note:**

> Things you need to know:
> 
> Malik loves music. Just... all of it.  
> ZIgfried knows nothing of pop culture. Just... none of it.  
> Kaiba Corp and Schroeder Corp have a "Windows vs Mac" kind of rivalry.

Malik raised his arms to the sky in excitement as he climbed the last bit of Mauna Kea’s summit. He looked at the horizon, a red and orange contrast to the blankets of snow beneath them. “Wow… it’s so beautiful up here. Look at this sunset!”

“Do you like it?” Siegfried asked from behind him, genuinely concerned Malik wasn’t enjoying himself despite his outburst.

Malik’s arms shot back down to hold himself against the cold. Even with multiple layers of clothing it was freezing, but for Malik it was weather worth braving.

“I’ve always imagined I’d see this… but it seemed like a dream, not something that’d actually happen. I can’t thank you enough for getting us permission to come up here alone.”

“Well, I still have friends in some places,” Siegfried laughed, taking his backpack off. “This isn’t even the main event though. You said you wanted to see this place at night, ja?” He took a blanket out of the bag and laid it down.

“Yeah, I’ve heard it’s amazing," replied Malik.

“Also, amazingly freezing. This cold rivals Germany… Are we really in Hawaii?” Siegfried commented, sitting down on the blanket and patting the spot next to him for Malik.

“Well, it’s windy up here and that doesn’t help,” Malik took off his own backpack and sat down next to his companion, the snow crunching underneath him.

Siegfried nodded, “You know, you never mentioned why you wanted to come here. I could tell you really wanted to, but I couldn’t understand why. I mean, for the view, of course... but it seemed deeper than that. Back at the house I could have sworn you were about to cry looking up at this place.”

Malik blinked, then burst out laughing.

“Is that why you brought me here?! ’Cause you thought I’d cry otherwise?!” Malik almost fell over to the side in hysterics.

“What?! No! I was trying to be nice!” Siegfried whapped Malik with his hand, “Stop making a fool of yourself!”

Malik came back up for air, “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry,” He took a deep breath, and mustered up an answer.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to come here because I really like space. I heard this was one of the best places in the world to view the stars. I’ve wanted to be here ever since.”

Siegfried raised an eyebrow, “But why space?”

“I dunno… why not?” Malik shrugged, “I studied it when my sister homeschooled me a bit after Battle CIty, and it’s what I grew attached to. I don’t think you can explain things like that.”

“Oh,” Siegfried turned back to the horizon as the sun was just starting to disappear behind the distant hills. Malik watched too, rubbing his gloved hands together to keep them warm. Siegfried seemed to be faring better in the cold.

Malik piqued up amidst the silence, “You know what? I’m changing my answer.”

“Hmm?”

Malik turned to Siegfried and gave a solemn smile, “I like space because it’s the one place I can’t go.”

Siegfried made a confused face, prompting Malik to continue.

“Well, I’ve been most everywhere haven’t I? Most of Europe, parts of South and North America, countries in Africa, and I’ve been to Japan… I travel so I can learn- about people and places I never would have back in the tombs. I’m breaking free.”

Malik looked up at the darkening sky, “But space? Off limits. I can learn about it in books all I want. But I can never… go there.”

They both looked up to the sky. Every star seemed to be on display for them, twinkling and gleaming down upon the pair. The two seemed frozen in time and space as the galaxy passed them by. Even the moonlight had competition from the thousands of stars on display.

“Hey… can I play some music?” Malik asked.

Siegfried blinked, “What?”

Malik pulled out his mp3 player and a portable speaker and grinned.

“Are you sure those will work up here in this cold?” asked Siegfried.

Malik pointed to a small ’KC’ logo on the products, “It’s Kaiba Corp technology…”

Siegfried scoffed, “Oh, I see how it is!”

“Hey! I have a Schroeder Corp computer…” Malik mumbled as he set everything up. He directed the mp3 player to “David Bowie > Space Oddity”.

He couldn’t help but smile as the iconic guitar intro came on.

Siegfried listened to the intro as well, never having heard the song before. He assumed it was a classic if Malik was listening to it, and upon listening, he could tell why it was. The singer's voice was hypnotizing. He was hesitant to interrupt the song, but a question remained.

“So… why do you like music so much? You were listening to that ’Neptune’ guy earlier.”

Malik groaned at Siegfried’s massive inaccuracy, ”Not ’Neptune’! Mercury. Freddie Mercury, from the band Queen. Holy shit!” He put his head in his hands in disappointment.

”Oh, well excuse me!“ Siegfried replied, using sarcasm to hide his embarrassment at the mistake, ”But still… why?“

Malik brought his head back up, and thought about it for a few seconds.

”Well… I guess it’s a lot like the space thing. There was no music in the tombs.“

Siegfried gasped in disbelief, ”No music?! None?!“ He was unfamiliar with Queen, but he couldn’t imagine life without Richard Wagner.

”None at all,“ Malik reiterated, ”I mean, Isis would sing lullabies to me, but…”  he shook his head, laughing, “...she wasn’t a very good singer. I had never heard music, but even I knew she was bad.“

The pair chuckled.

Malik continued to reminisce, ”I didn’t start admiring music until after Battle City though. I always was aware of it existing, but… I never did appreciate it until recently. I realize now, I could never go back to not knowing music. I wouldn’t want to. I wouldn’t want to hide in a cave and miss out on the beauty in this world, whether it was music, or space, or whatever comes my way.“

Siegfried brought his knees up to his chest. Memories of another time crept in and he looked away from Malik in shame, ”I’ve always hidden in a castle. I only came out to get revenge.“

Malik turned to his companion. He put a hand on Siegfried’s shoulder. Siegfried startled, turning to him.

Malik gave a reassuring smile, ”I went out for revenge too, remember? Just be patient. The world’s here for you to admire… anytime.”

Siegfried’s eye widened at Malik’s words. He had never felt such comfort in the presence of another person.

”Hopefully sooner rather than later,” Malik added with a grin.

They both looked back to the sky. Music continued to play as the stars became brighter in what seemed to be an ever-darkening sky. The stars winked at Malik, and for a moment, he saw himself among them.

Siegfried pointed at Malik’s mp3 player, ”So who sings this?“

Not turning to him and still looking at the stars, Malik replied, ”I’m going to savor this moment by pretending you didn’t just ask that.“

Siegfried rolled his eyes and chuckled.

 

_Can you hear me, Major Tom…?_

**Author's Note:**

> Photo © Shane Black, via NASA.  
> Explore and interact with the view from Mauna Kea at [NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Day" Image Archive](https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150511.html)!


End file.
